as in cowed
Related Words
Relevance
as in intimidated
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the judge warned the attorney that hectoring the witness with aggressive questioning would not be allowed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hectored
Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Jason Sudeikis, Robert Smigel, and George Wendt hectored Kelce to (1) make Taylor pony up for a new stadium and (2) propose already.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
For over a century, citizens have been surveilled while the media is harassed and hectored into compromise, so that the official rhetoric of Slavic suprematism can go unchallenged.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Jason Sudeikis, Robert Smigel, and George Wendt hectored Kelce to (1) make Taylor pony up for a new stadium and (2) propose already.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectored
Verb
-
Bilton reportedly replied that he was not intimidated.—
Jocelyn Noveck,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
-
Tired of stirring—and intimidated by timing it right?—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Audiences who endured the Miramax era have been browbeaten to believe that the best picture Oscar should go to a period piece that chokes out a sob from audiences.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Not to the extent that the user is necessarily being browbeaten.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And yet, the complex plot comes down to the bond between Albus and Scorpius, who are living in their fathers’ shadows, bullied and uncertain of themselves, as their connections with their dads falter.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
-
In a country like India, subjugated early in the history of capitalist imperialism, and then bullied after independence by the West, a degree of self-renunciation and collective sacrifice was widely understood to be requisite to economic and political self-strengthening.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Irish were the original oppressed people from the English Empire, and the original colony.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
-
The body pointed to the fact that Iran’s Farabi cinema body, which oversees the country’s submission, was directly controlled by the hardline Islamic Republic regime government, which in turn has suppressed freedom of speech and brutally oppressed filmmakers across its 47 years in power.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The victim accelerated to escape, but the suspect continued to follow her, which frightened her.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
The Lord in your convent frightened me, Jesus with his bloody palms and gaping mouth, eyes rolled back in terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Add crushed ice about halfway up and give a brief stir or swizzle, five to eight seconds, to begin the chilling process.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
-
Unlike the Caribbean, where sand consists of crushed quartz, beaches in this part of northern Norway are made up of fragments of dead shells and calcareous algae that have accumulated over thousands of years.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Consumers from both countries grew fed up with their economies in 2022, and those sentiment reports have remained downtrodden.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
And the dejected diehard of a downtrodden franchise isn’t truly stuck in a one-sided detrimental relationship.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectored. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
